St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-17
ENGLISH NEWSPAPER LIFE.
Where Reporters Are a Grade Be
low Domestic Servants.


Several articles have been written
lately contrasting American and English
methods, writes T. G. Crawford in the
New York World. l do not think that
enough Importance has been given to
the differences between English and
American reporters. In American
newspaper Offices reporters rank high,
as they should. 1 believe that the best
men around newspaper Office are it's
best reporters, and that no man
who is first-rate newspaper man
could desire any better reputation
than that of being considered great
reporter. The most successful news
cess to the fact of having the nature
and education of high class reporters.
In English newspaper offices the re-
porter is an unimpOrtant, underpaid, ill
cOnsinered individual. His work is re-
garded as the least important upon the
paper, and is paid accordingly. Mere
reporters are separated from descriptive
writers. These descriptive writer's are
known as special writers. They will
condescend to go out and write an
account of great scene or spec
tacle, but no special writer who re-
Spects himself would write anything
paper. The result is that the actual
news in London newspapers is written
in the dulleSt and most plain and unin-
tereSting of styles. There is also very
little discrimination in the presentation
of routine matters. The police courts
all over the city are reported at great
length, the unimpOrtant reports being
given just as much space as the most
Important. The pettiest local quarrels
appear in these reports written in dry,
statistical fashion, without a particle of
color or life. The public men of England
class reporters as do their newspapers.
do not think the English reporters as
class have any social standing. IL a
reporter should 60 to see public man
there-and by this | mean an ordinary
news reporter am quite sure that this
English public man would not think it
out of the way to have this reporter.
wait among his servants until he
should see fit to see him. ~ /
think the servants in the first-claSs
houses have better standing than the
average news reporter upon the London
newspapers. There is no reporter on
any London newspaper, unless it is the
shorthand reporters of parliamentary
debates, who receives a salary of over
"a week. Two or three pounds week
IS very common salary. Some of the
space men feel very well satisfied if
they make Ell a week. The English
system of news management, too, is
discouraging. The members of the
staff of these papers keep strictly to
the performance of their regular duties.
could not better illustrate this than
by giving personal experience. One
evening was in the company of night
editor of prominent English newspa-
per. l mentioned to him an interesting
piece of news much more interesting to
London than to New York people. |
told him he could use it if he wished.
He said: Il don't want it." "Why
don't YOU" said L. SIS it not good
piece. OF news?" ''Oh, very good, in
deed! but am not paid to write news
for the paper. ] am merely paid to edit
it. Ii l should hand In piece of news
to the paper it would be misunderstood
and should get no thanks for it,
In all well regulated American news